The modern board game scene has absolutely exploded over the past decade, and there are more great board games available than ever. So many, in fact, that it can be difficult to decide what to play next.

These seven board games from the latter half of 2016 should be high on your list of titles to play!

This game was such a smash hit that it can be difficult to find (though a second printing is almost certainly assured). If you can get your hands on a copy, though, you absolutely should. It’s a game of card drafting, resource management, engine-building, and occasional conflict. Players take control of corporations intent on terraforming the red planet and making as much money out of it as they can.

You’ll crash asteroids into the atmosphere, raise livestock, set up companies and conglomerates, and engage in some under-handed activities to ensure that your company is the richest at the end of the game. The rules aren’t especially complex, and the game provides a great amount of strategy and fun. And with the average playtime sitting at about two hours, it doesn’t take all day to play.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a good Star Wars board game that wasn’t part of a series (and, therefore, very expensive to get into). Rebellion perfectly channels the conflict of the space opera by pitting a powerful Imperial player against a smaller, agile Rebel crew. The Empire wins if they can find the Rebel base, while the Rebellion secures victory by surviving long enough and swaying the galaxy’s opinion in their favor.

With over 150 detailed miniatures, two game boards (featuring 32 of Star Wars‘ most recognizable planets), a wide variety of missions, and a host of familiar faces, Rebellion is a perfect addition to any Star Wars fan’s collection. It’s rather expensive, and takes in the three-to-four-hour range to play, but it’s a phenomenally good game, and worth the time and money it requires.

If you’re not into sprawling, conflict-driven games, give First Class a try. Each player is in charge of building up two Orient-Express-era trains. By drafting cards, players lengthen and upgrade their trains and send them along their routes. By having the biggest, most luxurious train, and the most passengers, you’ll accrue the most victory points and win the game.

The game comes with five different modules, and every game uses a set of base cards and two of those modules. This gives First Class a huge amount of variety and replayability. After a few plays, you’ll start to see the potential for creating chains of actions that rapidly accrue points, and this is where the game really shines.

This is one of my personal favorites and definitely a standout from late 2016. It looks like a 4X gameGet Your Dose of Strategy with 8 Great 4X Games for iOSGet Your Dose of Strategy with 8 Great 4X Games for iOSMost of 4X strategy games are limited to powerful gaming PCs, but several great strategic games are available to play on your iPhone or iPad. So grab a couple of them and have fun!Read More, and you might expect it to be full of combat and tension, but you’ll be surprised to find that it plays more like a calmer Eurogame. Set in an alternate 1920s Europe, the game sees players trying to develop the strongest faction after the first World War.

To win, you’ll need to harvest and manage resources, research upgrades, recruit new workers, build massive mechs, and make your way to the Factory, where you’ll find powerful new technologies. And while combat does figure into the game, the specter of it is more important than the actual battles themselves, which tend to be few. Combine this gameplay with breathtaking art from Jakub Rozalski, and you have a winner.

Journeying from an alternate 1920s Europe to the 1800s American West, we come to Great Western Trail. You’re a rancher, moving your herd from Texas to Kansas City to ship them off. By managing your herd, taking advantage of stops along the trail, hiring staff, and working to develop the railroad, you’ll become the most successful rancher on the plains.

This is a highly strategic game, and will definitely appeal to people who like to do a lot of thinking when they play. You’ll need to manage a number of different resources while optimizing your plays to ensure you’re getting as much out of each turn as possible. Your brain might hurt after you play, but you’ll be glad you did.

Lovecraftian games are a dime a dozen, but Mansions is a perennial favorite. Players take control of investigators trying to solve paranormal mysteries while keeping a hold on their fragile sanity. Collect weapons and tools, solve puzzles, and fight off terrible monsters to save the day. This is a co-operative game in which players must work together to find success.

The first edition of Mansions of Madness required that one person play the keeper, who controlled the monsters and other eldritch horrors of the game. The new edition, however, relegates this role to an app, allowing all players to take part in the mystery-solving fun.

The result is a fun, hilarious race that anyone can win. The new version of the game has simplified some of the clunkier rules of the original, making it easier to learn and play. And with a recommended age of 12 and up, everyone in the family can enjoy this chaotic romp.

Which Board Games Are You Playing?

Board games are more popular than ever, and new ones hit the shelves all the time. With so many great options, it can be difficult to figure out what to play next. But these seven games will definitely not let you down. So grab one of them, get a group together, and start playing!

What are your favorite new board games? What have you been playing lately? And what are you looking forward to this year? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Robin

January 14, 2017 at 1:42 pm

7 Sins - The Others is the game I've been playing lately. It is a blend of SciFi, Horror and Fantasy in which one plays a Sin trying to corrupt the world, and the other 1 - 4 players use a group of partly supernatural heroes to stop it. The choice of Sin, heroes, story and some other variable elements make each game different.

Then, Dead of Winter along with its expansion The Long Night, a zombie survival game with many personal elements and difficult decisions, not just zombie killing.

I've heard of 7 Sins, and it sounds awesome! I'm a big fan of sci-fi/fantasy/horror, so I think I'd like it a lot. The minis look great, too. I haven't had a chance to play it, but I'll definitely have to find a way to check it out.

I played Dead of Winter for the first time not too long ago, and I thought it was good. Not great, but good. I didn't feel like I was very immersed in the story. But the traitor won that game, which was pretty cool. :-) I'll have to play it again. I think knowing what I'm getting into would definitely help. And The Long Night is supposed to be pretty good, too, so maybe I'll find a way to try that one as well.

Dann is MakeUseOf's Creative editor. After an MA (and most of a PhD) in psycholinguistics, he fully committed to digital and print journalism. With over 10 years of professional writing experience, he's written about everything from cognitive science to mountain biking.